Affordable Anti-Ageing Skincare Routine For Your Twenties and Beyond

Skin requires a number of efficacious active ingredients to maintain its lustre and health. Is it possible to meet all your skin care needs and not splash out hundreds of pounds? Can you really create an effective skincare routine on a budget? Of course! While marketing and luxury brands may tell you otherwise, there is absolutely no reason you cannot achieve great skin using affordable products – sans the fancy packaging, convoluted verbiage and hefty price tag. If you are in your twenties, on a budget and are considering taking your skincare game to the next level, today’s post is for you. I am going to give you my tried and tested, proven effective, affordable anti-ageing skincare routine – using only products under £20.

After an extended break from blogging, I am so incredibly happy to be back! Because I have not had the opportunity to do so yet, I would like to wish you a very (belated) happy new year. I have missed posting so unbelievably much and I look forward to creating a lot of content this year. Although I will not bore you with the details and particulars of my absence, I hope to soon share with you some very exciting things. I will do my utmost to remain consistent with my future blog posts from here onwards. If you are not already subscribed to the blog, make sure you do so for exciting updates.

Now, let’s get back to the topic of today’s blog post. 

Beauty on a Budget

Skincare is an investment. You take good care of your skin now, in order to reap the benefits for years to come. However, an investment does not mean that your products have to break the bank. Products do not need a huge price tag in order for them to be effective, or to show results. If you are a student, or young person on a budget, there are still plenty of affordable, highly efficacious products that will bring real, noticeable results. 

As a girl on a budget, I am aware that skincare products can get pricey. Perhaps you are in your twenties like me and would like to start taking proper care of your skin. I know what it’s like. There are late nights at the club surrounded by cigarette smoke, a little too much to drink, lights you collapse in bed before ever removing your makeup. In our twenties we are all guilty of being a little naughty to one degree or another. 

As a teen you may have been able to get away with a lack of sleep without much negative effect. However, now the first signs of undereye bags are rearing their ugly little head; you want to nip it in the bud before it proliferates. I am only 22 but recently I really feel the effects of nights out on my skin. As a 17-year-old I could get by on four hours of sleep and do night after night out. It would not phase me the way it does now. Perhaps that sounds precocious at only 22. But after a lot of sleep deprived nights, makeup use and acne in my teens, I appreciate my pillowcase and skin care more and more.

Skincare Must Haves for Your Twenties

I have compiled this affordable anti-ageing skincare routine full of products I use and trust. Every product is highly effective, under £20 each, and has been tested by me for 6+ months. I have done this to demonstrate that beauty can be effective on a budget; you have no excuse not to implement a skincare routine. This routine has yielded great results for my skin, exemplifying that good skincare is not synonymous with expensive skincare. It is all about ingredients and results – not packaging and marketing. 

My skin type is acne-prone and sensitive. I do not have overly oily or overly dry skin. Here are the products I recommend for women in their twenties and an overview of what I will be discussing in this post: 

Cleanser 

Makeup remover

Targeted spot treatment for those pesky unexpected or hormonal breakouts

Chemical exfoliant

Serums and Antioxidant products – niacinamide, vitamin C, hyaluronic acid and other antioxidants to shield and protect from environmental stressors

Facial oil – multipurpose, for days your skin is particularly parched and for makeup application

Daily facial moisturiser 

SPF (I will cover SPF products in a separate blog post). Make sure you check out this blog post about what SPF does for skin.

The above are my core, essential products I recommend integrating into your skincare stash. If this seems a little overwhelming at first glance, I will also be explaining how you can easily condense the number of products you use and whittle down your skincare routine if you choose. In addition, depending on your skin type, you may not need every product.

Cleanser

The first step of your affordable anti-ageing skincare routine is cleansing. If you have read my post on how to layer skincare products,you would be aware of the emphasis I put on proper cleansing of the skin. I have gone through countless cleansers and face washes in the past and found that nothing quite eliminates my rosacea and redness like a gentle cleanser. Many cleansers I have tried will cause my skin to flush red and irritated upon washing. If this is something you struggle with and cannot find the culprit, I would suggest switching out your face cleanser and seeing if that solves the issue.

Essential oils, sulphates and fragrances are ingredients I used in the past, in many of my cleansers. I mistakenly was of the view that, because a face wash is on your skin for such a brief time, the variety of cleanser you used was not important. I would purchase the generic face wash at the supermarket and thought that would do the trick. However, I always struggled with redness. As I became more educated on skin care and ingredients, and after experimenting on myself, I realised that switching my cleanser to a gentle, fragrance free non-foaming cleanser made the greatest impact on my skin. 

Cleanser Favourite

At the moment I am using the La Roche Posay Dermocleanser. It is a cream cleanser, it does not foam and has no fragrance. If you are accustomed to foaming cleansers and the squeaky-clean-feel you get from them, this product might take a while to get used to. Do not be fooled though, it does a fantastic job of removing makeup and dirt from the day. It is available here on Amazon for only £9, which is the cheapest price I have found it at.

Other cleansers, even the foaming variety, would leave behind some traces of makeup. I would follow up with a toner and still be able to pick up a lot of excess oil and makeup from my face after cleansing. This cleanser does not give me that issue; it is non-irritating and is safe for use around the eyes. Let’s be honest: no one wants their eyes to sting and burn.

Makeup Removal

I regularly use micellar water to remove my everyday makeup. I do not wear much makeup on a daily basis so it can easily be removed with a swipe of micellar water. If I am wearing eye makeup or waterproof mascara, I will turn to this Simple Dual Effect eye makeup remover. It is among the best eye makeup removers I have tried and will remove any waterproof eye makeup you may have on. I do not spend a great deal of my skincare budget on makeup removers because even simple coconut oil can do the trick. It only has one function; to remove makeup, so I do not resort to anything fancy.

My favourite micellar cleansing water is this one from Bioderma. It is gentle and does a great job. I regularly purchase this variety of Bioderma because it comes in a big bottle with a pump. It is available on Amazon for the best price. Other favourites Simple Micellar Cleansing Water and Garnier Micellar Water.

Exfoliation

A chemical exfoliant will work wonders on your skin. Particularly if you struggle with congested pores and blackheads. If you struggle with acne and blackheads, I would recommend using a salicylic acid product. If you are concerned about dark spots and signs of ageing, you can also opt for glycolic acid. I have written in depth articles about both salicylic acid and glycolic acid, which you can refer back to. Finding a good chemical exfoliant is challenging, because many contain ingredients that irritate my skin. I have narrowed down my search to several key products.

Under £20

Glossier’s daily face exfoliator is a triple threat containing chemical exfoliants BHA, AHA and PHA. It can be used daily for a fresh glowing skin effect. At £19, it is slightly higher in price, but you can get 10% off through this link. This exfoliant will keep your pores clear of blackheads and smooth skin texture. PHAs are a newer exfoliant on the scene. They are beginning to be used in more products and are gentler relative to other exfoliants, as well as moisturising. It also contains soothing ingredients such as aloe vera and niacinamide.

Pixi Glow Tonic is a cult favourite glycolic acid toner. It buffs away dead skin cells, refine pores, and stimulates skin cell regeneration. It is not overly drying and contains aloe vera for additional soothing benefit. If you are new to chemical exfoliants, I would suggest trying them a couple of days per week and gradually increasing your use, to avoid irritation.

The COSRX AHA/BHA toner is a little-known gem. It contains both AHAs and BHAs for thorough skin resurfacing, and at only £15 it is a no brainer. If fragrance tends to irritate your skin, I would highly suggest this product. It is non irritating and contains soothing allantoin. If your main concern is blackheads and breakouts, the COSRX Blackhead Power Liquid is another great option. The brand is available on SokoGlam, iHerb, and Lookfantastic. Check out my Korean Skincare post for more on this brand and the top Korean skincare products you need.

Under £10

At only £9.99, the Inkey List Beta Hydroxy Acid is a new no-nonsense, fragrance free exfoliant. You only need a drop to benefit from its pore clearing, breakout preventing properties. The Inkey List also has an inexpensive Glycolic Acid exfoliating toner for only £6.99, giving Pixi Glow Tonic a run for its money. If you have less of an issue with breakouts but struggle with skin dullness and dryness, this product will improve skin radiance. Make sure you have read my complete guide to Glycolic Acid for more information on what the ingredient does for your skin.

Targeted Spot Treatment

Whether or not your skin is immaculate for most of the month, or you are a Vogue cover model, you will experience a spot at some point in your journey. If you are a woman, you will likely experience a breakout or two around that wonderful time of the month. And when you do, you will want to be armed with some sort of spot treatment, in case a zit appears at a most inopportune time. If you do struggle with acne, I would suggest taking a look at the following posts: The Best Ingredients to Eliminate Acne and How to Get Rid Of Blackheads for Good.

Your best, quickest resolution is a tube of benzoyl peroxide that you can get over the counter from your local drugstore/pharmacy. If you are not a fan of BPO, there are a number of other inexpensive, effective spot treatments. La Roche Posay Breakout Corrector and Alpha H Blemish Control Gel contain salicylic acid and antimicrobial ingredients to clear your blemishes. Sulphur containing treatments such as Bye Bye Blemish will draw out bacteria from the spot. I would also recommend trying out these hydrocolloid acne patches to get rid of that pesky blemish overnight.

Serums and Antioxidants

Your twenties is the time where you want to start stepping up your skincare game a fraction from the basic moisturiser you always used. Now is the time to begin incorporating certain serums, antioxidants and other active ingredients that will help preserve and maintain healthy collagen production in skin.

Hyaluronic Acid

If you do not already incorporate hyaluronic acid into your routine, read this complete guide to hyaluronic acid. Regardless of your skin type, a hyaluronic acid based product is sure to benefit your skin. It is a humectant and will help provide much needed skin hydration. Some simple, very affordable hyaluronic acid serums include the Inkey List Hyaluronic Acid Serum for £4.99 and the Ordinary’s Hyaluronic Acid at £6. Meanwhile, Makeup Revolution has recently launched their take on brands such as the Ordinary. Thus we have Revolution Skincare Hyaluronic Acid as another inexpensive alternative option.

Hyaluronic acid is available in many skincare products. However, you should choose your products wisely. If a pricey product contains hyaluronic acid as its only selling point, I would suggest looking for one that incorporates a larger mix of skin-loving ingredients. Although HA is important, it is not the only ingredient your skin needs. If your standard moisturiser already contains a good dose of hyaluronic acid, you may not necessarily need a dedicated serum with HA.

Peptides

Once the first signs of fine lines begin to show up, you may wish to consider incorporating a peptide serum into your routine. Peptides are the building blocks of protein and specifically collagen, crucial for youthful skin. One of my favourite affordable peptide serums is the Ordinary Buffet. It contains an array of powerful peptides and hyaluronic acid to encourage skin plumpness and elasticity. In addition, it has a nice light texture and absorbs quickly. I love using it around any smile lines or forehead lines in particular. In the same vein, Revolution Skincare has launched their own peptide serum for only £10 and I was pleasantly surprised by their largely irritant free ingredient list.

Antioxidants

I have spoken at length about the importance of antioxidants in your routine. Oftentimes, the all-encompassing, antioxidant rich skincare products lean on the pricier side due to the nature of the ingredients. Brands like The Ordinary and The Inkey List make it easy to choose individual antioxidants. However, you can see how purchasing a number of antioxidants can add up to give the same effect as a single product that includes multiple antioxidants.

If I were to choose only one budget serum, it would hands down be a niacinamide-based product. Niacinamide is my skincare star ingredient and has truly altered my skin. It has a myriad of benefits; from diminishing the appearance of large pores, uneven skin tone, skin discolouration and even blemishes. Moreover, it strengthens an impaired skin barrier, which is critical for maintaining healthy skin throughout life. My holy grail is this niacinamide product and, at only £5, it is well worth the spend.

While vitamin C is an extremely beneficial skincare ingredient, it is not particularly easy to find a cheap vitamin C product. If you would like to learn its benefits, read this post about vitamin C skincare. Vitamin C is very difficult to formulate due to the speed at which is oxidises and degrades in air. Many cheaper versions of ascorbic acid are a little gritty and not very elegant in texture. I discovered Elf Antioxidant Booster Drops recently, which contains vitamins C, E and niacinamide and can be used alone or added to other products for an extra boost. The Inkey List and The Ordinary have very affordable options, however due to the texture they are not my absolute favourites.

Further antioxidant products I would thoroughly recommend are Resveratrol + Ferulic Acid, and CoQ10, which will protect against environmental stressors that lead to early signs of ageing. Both products have pleasant textures that can easily be integrated into your routine.

Facial Oils

If you do not have an oily skin type, you may overlook or even cringe away from the possibility of using face oils. Face oils are arguably one of the most versatile treasures in your skincare wardrobe. They are kind of like that little black dress you can dress up or down and will match with most anything.

When your skin is feeling particularly parched or dehydrated, applying a little facial oil over the rest of your skincare acts as a barrier for the rest of your products. It helps to trap in moisture and prevent water loss from the skin. To double up your skincare, consider mixing it in to your standard moisturiser during the drier months. Face oils are also great to use under your makeup base. Furthermore, you can use oil to alter the consistency of formulas. Adding a drop to foundations and cream products will enhance the slip and emollience of these products. Be aware of the silicone content of your products, however, because mixing too many oils and other skincare products with silicones may cause pilling.

An oil for every occasion

My favourite facial oils of the moment include rosehip oil, which you can read all about in this blog post, squalane oil and marula oil. Each of these oils have their own individual benefits and best uses. I recommend rosehip oil if you have any concerns with dark spots or general signs of ageing and all round anti-ageing benefits. It absorbs quickly into skin so even oily skin types will benefit from its use.

Squalane is amazing for use as a standalone face oil or simply as a pre-makeup step. I tend to use it to mix in with base products that are more matte in texture in order to enhance the slip. It is also great for adding a couple of drops to your hair to enhance shine. Marula oil is best for drier skin types and has an excellent fatty acid profile for deep skin moisture and suppleness. BYBI Buriti Oil is another great cold pressed, all natural choice for only £12.

Moisturiser

Lastly, there is an abundance of affordable moisturisers to choose from. Both the drugstore and online beauty retailers provide an array of great moisturisers. I do not typically splurge on moisturisers for the simple fact that it is merely designed to moisturise skin. While the top tier, higher ticket moisturisers will have a myriad of skin-replenishing ingredients, antioxidants and other goodies, so do serums. If you use a separate serum, the function of a moisturiser can simply be providing moisture and reinforcing the skin barrier. Look out for moisturisers with skin-boosting ingredients such as glycerin, hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and various non fragrant plant oils.

Cerave moisturising lotion is a good option containing hyaluronic acid and ceramides that strengthen skin barrier and prevent premature signs of ageing. For a natural option, I like the Burts Bees Sensitive Moisturising Cream as it is soothing, fragrance free and non greasy. Another favourite of mine is the Simple Hydrating Gel. It is lightweight in consistency but still hydrating and perfect under makeup.

Eye Cream

Typically, I will not use a separate eye cream. All the moisturisers I mentioned work perfectly fine around the eye area. Eye creams often seemed to me another excuse to release a product that is half the size, at double the price. As long as you bring all other products around your eye area, it should suffice. If you suffer with puffy eyes, perhaps a separate eye cream may be desirable for you, but it is not necessary.

With that in mind, recently I decided to try out this affordable eye cream and I must say I really enjoy using it. It feels refreshing and replenishing around the eye area and the addition of ceramides adds an extra anti-ageing boost. If you struggle with particularly dry under eyes, I would highly recommend this product. Burts Bees also has a sensitive eye cream that I have repurchased a number of times through the years.

Condensing Your Routine

Phew! That was a lot to get through.

For the girl who does not want to spend a tonne of time on her skincare routine, you can simplify it and still get good results. If you asked me what my must-haves are for travel, or if I wanted to just take it easy on the products for a night, I would opt for:

Cleanser, Niacinamide, and Hyaluronic Acid serum (oily skin) or moisturiser (dry) or face oil.

Yes, it really is that simple.

Those are the essential products I need for everyday to maintain my skin. The rest of the products reinforce and are great additions to my routine to keep my skin in top shape. Your individual skin needs may be different to mine. Therefore, it is important to experiment and test various products to see which best suit your needs.

I hope that this post was helpful and you have a better idea of how to put together your own affordable anti-ageing skincare routine. If you need some direction as to how to layer all these products, read this article about skincare layering.

I know that today’s post was a long one (who am I kidding, most of my posts are!). But, I like to be thorough and really explain my choices and recommendations so that you can make an educated decision. Besides, I have missed blogging so please excuse me for spewing all this information at once.

Subscribe to the Blog for more Beauty and Wellness content. Plus, keep an eye out for some exciting announcements to come. 😉

Wishing you boundless love, endless light, and life without limit,

Shannon xo

• Why Do We Get Acne Breakouts?
• Things To Do During Coronavirus Lockdown
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• Chemical Peel for Acne Treatment
• Affordable Anti-Ageing Skincare Routine for Your 20’s

This post is not sponsored. All opinions are my own.

The post Affordable Anti-Ageing Skincare Routine for Your 20’s appeared first on Shannon Feetham.

Acne Supplements That Actually Work

By now you might be aware of my past struggles with acne and breakouts. Not long ago, it seemed that any little thing would exacerbate my skin and spur on an acne breakout. I had been on antibiotics for years in an attempt to clear it up, and every time I tried to come off antibiotics, I would ultimately have to start them again. This perpetual on-off cycle went on for years until I decided enough was enough and took matters into my own hands. I became rigorous about my skincare, makeup removal, and tried to cut down on the junk I was putting into my system day in and day out. I was aware of the damage that years of antibiotics and other drugs had wreaked on my digestive system. Determined to find a solution, I began research. I tried many acne supplements in the process.

In spite of the hundreds I would shell out for a consultation with a dermatologist, they would barely spare five minutes listening to my story before pulling out the prescription pad and prescribing months’ worth of topical and oral antibiotics – neither of which actually eliminated the issue. All it left me with was a weakened skin barrier, impaired gut function, food allergies as a result, and an indefinite prescription of pills. My hormones were not out of balance, but my dermatologist continued to push birth control pills for my skin. There is a strong dichotomy between what conventional medicine says is the solution for acne (or lack thereof) and what a more functional medicine approach would lead one to believe.

You are what you eat?

For years I had convinced myself that my frankly poor diet consisting of endless servings of high sugar cereals, milk (despite my lifetime of lactose intolerance) crackers, addiction to anything wheat and processed junk had nothing to do with the breakouts on my face. After all, my dermatologist had not rebuked or even mentioned the possibility that my high sugar diet had anything to do with my breakouts or inflammation. It was not until I confronted the fact that my poor dietary habits and aversion for fresh food were major contributors to the state of my skin, that I finally got a hold of my breakouts. What a concept.

Although this may sound pretty obvious, keep in mind that the same foods that caused me to break out will not be the same foods that cause you issues. There are people for whom processed foods or dairy are not the culprit, as much as certain nightshade vegetables, or even some other seemingly healthful options. What is healthful for one person does not directly reflect as being healthful for another.

Imbalances inside, show up outside

There are countless micronutrient and hormonal imbalances that lead to breakouts and thus countless options to treat your breakouts. We are all deeply individual, with different lifestyles, different genetics and microbiome states. We are so individual that the current state of your own microbiome and inner flora could be completely different now to what it will look like in three months’ time. In this post I will be telling you about supplements that I have personally had success with for treating my breakouts.

Keep in mind, you may not have the same issues I had, and your inner flora are going to be vastly different to mine. However, I hope this gives you a little hope as to the options you have at your disposal before going too crazy with the medications. (Please note that, particularly if you suffer with severe cystic acne, your best option would be to consult a medical professional. It may be better to get your skin under control first and using the supplements I am mentioning as skin maintenance, in order to prevent it from worsening anymore and potentially causing lifelong scars and marks.)

Herbal Extracts

Let me preface by emphasising that I by no means shun conventional medicine. We need only look at the advances we have made in medicine over the past century, and the lives saved, to recognise its potency and necessity. However, what concerns me is the fact that antibiotics and the like are now being prescribed as a cure-all for smaller ailments that could often otherwise be managed with less disruptive therapies.

In my quest to find alternative solutions, I came across the wondrous world of herbal remedies. Up until this point I had assumed “natural” or herbal supplements were all frankly a bunch of ludicrous contrivances. After all, science had progressed far beyond the natural remedies of our ancestors. What I had failed to realise was that much of conventional medicine today is manufactured upon managing pretty severe or debilitating ailments.

Steroids, antibiotics, NSAIDs – they are great when dealing with crippling illness, infections, surgeries. However, to depend upon such medications for a little cough, mild cramps, or even spots, can actually be more damaging than beneficial. Conventional medicine is predicated upon the treatment of symptoms. It never truly targets the root of the ailment or the cause of disease. 

Burdock Root

There are a few herbal remedies that caught my attention as potential acne supplements.

• Burdock root has blood purifying properties and has been found to elicit detoxification of heavy metals from the blood. By improving blood circulation, it promotes skin health.
• As a natural diuretic, it helps remove waste which assists in the expulsion of toxins from the body.
• It also improves detoxification and drainage of the lymphatic system. Lymphatic drainage is critical for immunity and overall wellness.
• Burdock can greatly help inflammatory conditions like acne, and even eczema and psoriasis, by quelling that inflammation of the skin.

Blue Flag

Both burdock and blue flag are herbal extracts that essentially work by clearing the body of toxins. They calm the inflammation that leads to skin problems.

• Blue flag aids the skin by purifying the blood as it works through the liver, the body’s main detoxification organ.
• Cleanses, decongests and removes waste products associated with poor skin health.
• Influences the glandular system, lymphatic, intestinal glands, liver and gal ducts.
• Believed to counteract the effects of fatty food or alcohol on the skin.
• Combines well with burdock root to treat inflammatory skin conditions like eczema and acne.

These extracts should be used in therapeutic doses and neither of these herbs should be taken raw. I stumbled upon these tablets with both blue flag and burdock root. It contains an optimal dosage of both herbs too.

Let me tell you, these acne supplements are a game changer for breakouts. I typically take these tablets around meals, in order to combat the effect of the blood sugar spike. I feel as though it helps reduce potential inflammation I might get as a result of my (sometimes questionable) dietary choices.

If you experience pesky spots, blemishes or even mild eczema, I highly recommend you give these tablets a shot.

This is where I purchase Clear Complexion Tablets.

Zinc

(but not just any zinc)

Not only is zinc an essential mineral vital for proper immune function, but it also has anti-inflammatory properties to boot. As previously mentioned, acne is an inflammatory condition of the skin. Thus, any nutrients that will help to soothe that inflammation are invaluable in the treatment of acne. It may also diminish problematic yeast overgrowth that contributed to acne. Zinc’s wound healing properties are also crucial for healing breakouts. 

Studies in the 1970s first observed that patients with acne had significantly lower levels of zinc that controls. Zinc as a single product, as well as combination treatment paired with other therapies, has proven to be efficacious in improving acne lesions. As acne supplements, zinc can be incredibly effective. You can access the studies here.

Zinc deficiency can be caused by inadequate intake, but also due to excessive loss or poor absorption, and certain chronic illnesses can also lead to its deficiency. Those who avoid animal food sources are also more prone to zinc deficiency. Vegetarians or vegans who mainly obtain their protein sources from legumes, beans, nuts, wholegrains and soy typically have trouble. This is due to the phytates that inhibit zinc absorption. 

Zinc Sources

Great food sources of zinc include oysters, red meat, eggs and poultry. However if you are concerned that your dietary zinc intake is low, or that you are a poor absorber, you may wish to supplement with zinc. 

Certain zinc compounds are more bioavailable than others and will thus have a greater impact on your skin. Zinc acetate, zinc orotate, zinc methionine, zinc sulfate and zinc gluconate are all options that have been studied, however there is some conflicting opinions as to the best form. I personally prefer zinc picolinate for its bioavailability.

This is the exact zinc I use. 

Vitamin D

(but pay attention to the form of vitamin D)

It is no coincidence that my most severe acne flare up coincided with the only time I had ever been vitamin D deficient in my life. Before moving to the UK I had never experienced vitamin D deficiency, nor did I ever have to supplement with vitamin D, because I grew up in a relatively sunny place. 

Vitamin D is a steroid hormone that is responsible for regulating thousands of functions in the body. It has antimicrobial and anti inflammatory properties that are critical for addressing the causes of acne. Inadequate levels of vitamin D are strongly linked to acne prevalence. 

A daily dose of sunshine will of course be the best source of vitamin D. Food sources of vitamin D include egg yolks, beef liver, full fat dairy and sardines. Vitamin D is fat soluble so pair with a source of fat, in order to fully obtain its benefits. If you are concerned that you are not getting sufficient vitamin D through diet or adequate sun exposure, you may wish to consider supplementing with vitamin D. 

Not all vitamin D is created equal

Look out for vitamin D3 supplements as they are the form of vitamin D that will be most beneficial. Vegans in particular will struggle to meet their vitamin D requirements. The vegan diet is naturally far lower in bioavailable vitamin D3. Vitamin D2 from mushrooms and other vegan sources is typically more poorly absorbed.

These are my favourite vitamin D supplements that I have used for years and have not struggled with low vitamin D since. It is from a reputable brand and is very inexpensive for the amount you are getting.

If you are vegan, I would suggest this Vegan Vitamin D3 because vegan supplements often use vitamin D2, which is poorly absorbed. However, this Vegan Vitamin D3 comes from a high quality, completely animal-free source so you can rest assured you are actually topping up your levels. 

Probiotics

The mistake I made, and what my doctors failed to share with me is that, in the attempt to remove the acne-causing bacteria with antibiotics, I was also removing good bacteria. The antibiotics I had been prescribed indefinitely by my physician had set off an atomic bomb in my digestive system. It wiped out every trace of flora. 

In order to healthfully thrive, your body has to maintain a balance between both good bacteria, and bad bacteria. Your body works in equilibrium, and allowing one thing to overpower another will unquestionably result in imbalances and hence consequences.

Despite what we are led to believe, not all bacteria are bad. Even the dreaded E. coli has plenty of harmless strains. Its use in research is responsible for a number of scientific breakthroughs. In fact, our body comprises more bacterial cells than human cells! Maintaining a fine balance between both beneficial and harmful flora is crucial for optimal health. 

The Fine Balance of Bacteria

The whole premise of antibiotics for acne is that it targets bacteria that lead to acne. Essentially, the proliferation of this “bad” acne-causing bacteria leads to acne and breakouts. However, in the process it wipes out all other harmless bacteria responsible for millions of other functions within the body. This means it is critical to re-inoculate the body with “good” bacteria, or probiotics. We must tip the scale back in favour of the “good” bacteria and stop any “bad” bacteria overgrowth again. It is all about balance; even too much “good” bacteria can be a problem.

Probiotics and the microbiome is a topic I feel very strongly about, so I will be writing an entirely separate blog post on everything you need to know about probiotics. There are all sorts of strains and different classes of probiotics you should look out for. In the meantime, if you have acne and are (or are not) on antibiotics, I urge you to reach for some probiotics. 

Fermented foods like kimchi and sauerkraut are rich in probiotics, as are yoghurt, kefir, and kombucha. You may also wish to try a probiotic supplement. This is the high quality probiotic I use and trust. I find this probiotic works for me best and is extremely effective.

Treat the Cause

In “part 2” post, I will address a number of other acne supplements that are also highly effective. Depending on the cause of your acne, the acne supplements you respond to and your own individual treatment options will vary. You may have to address hormonal imbalances if that is the cause of your acne, or yeast overgrowth. Every case is individual. However, everyone will benefit from the supplements mentioned in this post regardless of the cause of your acne.

I hope this post on acne supplements was informative. I hope it helped get your wheels turning on acne supplements and the many options you have for treating the cause of your breakouts – not just the symptoms. 

Sign Up Here for more health and skincare posts. You also get instant access to my Skincare Essentials Checklist when you sign up.

For more skincare information, check out these posts:

Top 5 Skincare Ingredients to Get Rid of Acne

How to Eliminate Blackheads for Good

Essential Tips for Oily Skin

The Complete Guide to Salicylic Acid for Skin

9 Things to Consider Before You Start A New Skincare Routine

Wishing you boundless love, endless light, and life without limit,

Shannon xo

This post is not sponsored. Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.

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Kiehl’s SPF Review

On a recent trip to Spain the other week, I found that I had run out of sunscreen. Let me tell you, the Sun was intense and merciless. On my quest to find a new sunscreen, I stumbled upon a Kiehl’s counter at a local department store. Kiehl’s is a brand I have frequently seen but have not tried an extensive number of products from. As I was browsing, it came to my attention that the brand carries a number of sunscreens in their range. And they all seemed rather promising. I am constantly on the hunt for the best facial sunscreens. This post is a Kiehl’s SPF Review for their Ultra Light Daily UV Defense sunscreen.

As context for this Kiehl’s SPF review and other upcoming skincare posts, I would recommend you check out these articles:

All about UV radiation, sun damage and SPF

Should you be using a Vitamin C serum?

All About Antioxidants

Notice:

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Face vs Body Sunscreen

Kiehl’s has a pretty good selection of SPF products to choose from. All of them have nice textures and blend into skin without a white cast. I had been using a body sunscreen on my face since I had run out of my favourite facial sunscreen. While it did the job, it would give me a white pallour and cause makeup to cake throughout the day. I was resolved to finish the entire tube though, as I was determined not to shell out the pennies to purchase a new SPF until I had finished the one I was using.

Now that I have switched back, the marked differences between a designated facial sunscreen and a body sunscreen are worlds apart. When applied to the face, a body sunscreen tends to feel heavy, greasy and occlusive. Makeup does not seem to adhere and instead slips off the face. It almost gives a slightly ‘sweaty’ feeling to skin. A well formulated facial sunscreen on the other hand, is a different story. They tend to be formulated to play well with makeup and have elegant textures that lay on the skin beautifully.

On to the review of the day.

Keihl’s SPF 50+ Ingredients

Sunscreen Actives

Kiehl’s Super Fluid (or Ultra Light) UV Mineral Defense SPF 50+ is a mineral based sunscreen. The sunscreen active used in the formula is titanium dioxide. This is an ingredient commonly used in skincare and cosmetic products as a sunscreen active, pigment and thickener. For maximum protection from all spectrums of UV light, many sunscreens will incorporate several sunscreen actives. Other Kiehl’s sunscreens do contain both chemical and physical blockers.

This formula contains only titanium dioxide. This is great if you find that like me, you have an allergy to a particular other type of sunscreen active, as titanium dioxide is a very gentle active ingredient. Titanium dioxide provides broad spectrum UV protection, although some may say it is somewhat inferior to its mineral counterpart zinc oxide. This is up for debate as the difference is relatively miniscule and titanium dioxide is still a perfectly adept source of SPF.

Typically, I have mainly used SPF 30 on my face. This is mainly due to the fact that this SPF parameter seems to give the best result under makeup. There is also not an incredibly significant difference in protection between SPF 30 and SPF 50 as there is between SPF 15 and SPF 30 for instance. I cover all the details in a previous post so you can read that SPF post to understand what I mean. In that article about UV radiation sun damage, I explain what SPF is, what is does, and I also go in depth about the difference between UVA and UVB, and what broad spectrum actually means.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is the chosen antioxidant in this sunscreen. I appreciate the inclusion of an antioxidant in such products because I do not tend to use a separate antioxidant skincare product most mornings. I am just being honest. Sometimes you value a few extra minutes of sleep and just want to slap on your SPF and get going for the day. For this reason, including antioxidants into one product can be valuable. If you read my article all about antioxidants, you know why adding antioxidants into an SPF can be so useful.

The vitamin E in this formula helps to neutralise free radicals. Because UV radiation causes free radicals, as you would know from my Sun Damage article, the inclusion of vitamin E in this formula is important. The soothing and healing properties of vitamin E, which I praise in this avocado oil blog post, are another plus of the ingredient. Ideally, I would have liked to see the incorporation of a few more antioxidants such as vitamin C and resveratrol in the formulation, especially given the high price point. For more on why vitamin C is great with SPF, read this vitamin C article.

Fragrance free

This product is free of synthetic fragrance, so it will not irritate skin that is particularly sensitive to fragrance. I found it interesting to note that the bottle specifically says that the sunscreen should not be used around the eye area. Typically, I apply all my sunscreens around the eye area because I would not want a darker eye region in comparison to the rest of my body. The eye area is also a region susceptible to sun damage, so it is curious that Kiehl’s would say this. That being said, it is not the most moisturising formula so could be a little drying around the eyes. If you wear eye makeup, there is titanium dioxide in that so I suppose it would give some amount of protection, and wearing sunglasses always helps.

Other ingredients

It does contain silicones and talc in order to achieve a silky, mattifying finish. This may be something you wish to keep in mind if you are opposed to such ingredients. I have no issue using these ingredients in my products. They are inert ingredients and enhance the finish of the products. There are individuals that may feel otherwise but this is just my two cents. In cosmetic chemistry, it would be incredibly difficult to formulate a pleasant-feeling, effective SPF for the face that also works nicely under makeup, without the presence of certain non “clean” ingredients.

The titanium dioxide in this sunscreen is nanosized, which I know may be of concern to certain individuals. Again, I do not find an issue with the inclusion of nano particles in products. Oftentimes these nano particles are coated which improves any safety concerns. They also make the product much more aesthetically pleasing. No one wants to be working in a thick gloop of zinc oxide to their skin; it is uncomfortable, and you would probably never wear sunscreen. If you are using a physical sunscreen and it has a pleasant texture, it is likely that they have used nano sized sunscreen actives.

Texture

As the name would suggest, this sunscreen is “super fluid”. It is a liquid formula that you must shake before application in order to emulsify the contents. The bottle has a needle-nose type spout to discharge the liquid. I am not the biggest fan of liquid SPF formulas, but I do find it works nicely under makeup. You will see that the product has a slight beige tint. I was drawn to the tint of the product as it offsets the potential white cast of a sunscreen, and I was done with looking pale as a result of the body sunscreens I had been applying to my face. 

The tint leans a little grey and somewhat reminds me of many grey-leaning BB creams from Asian brands. On my skin tone, the tint is not enough to make a noticeable colour difference on the face. It is extremely sheer and provides no coverage. However, I could see how people with much darker skin tones or who are particularly fair, would struggle with this. For reference, I am around a MAC NC30 in foundation shade and am pretty medium to light in skin tone. If you are much fairer or darker than me, I would suggest trying the other variety of Kiehl’s sunscreen that is completely colourless with no tint.

Matte Finish

I love that the product has a silky feel on the skin and has a mattifying effect. This makes it a great choice for people with oily or acne-prone skin. If you are particularly dry I would not recommend a formula like this. Mineral sunscreen actives are relatively drying too. This means that it might be better for your skin type to opt for a chemical blocker-based sunscreen. Or, at least, a more emollient SPF formula. For my skin type, however, this sunscreen works great as a makeup primer and leaves the skin pretty mattified all day. It should be noted that while I do not have dry skin, I am not overly oily either so very oily skin types may not find they are kept as matte.

Final verdict

I enjoy this sunscreen. It works well under makeup, has a matte finish, and is gentle on my skin. It has a high SPF 50+ that provides broad spectrum protection. I do wish that, for the price, they had done a little more to spruce up the formula. In this day and age, we are seeing emerging formulas protecting from blue light, pollution, and all sorts of environmental aggressors. So, this formula misses the mark a little in terms of what it could include.

However, I do think that it was one of the better choices I could have found at a pinch. It is not the best facial sunscreen I have tried but it does wear well. Overall, it has a nice finish, wears comfortably throughout the day and does not cause irritation. I would give it the thumbs up. 

Where to Find Kiehl’s SPF 50+

Below are links to the exact product I am talking about and where you can find them in your country. Kiehl’s has a few SPF products so the links will direct you to the exact one I am talking about. Find Kiehl’s Super Fluid SPF50+ here:

Sephora US

Selfridges

Amazon

Kiehl’s Website UK

Kiehl’s Website US

Still on the hunt for the Ultimate Facial SPF

I hope that this Kiehl’s SPF Review was helpful and that you had a little insight into the way I judge products. I am constantly on the look for new and innovative formulas and have a number of incredibly interesting products coming your way. This product missed the mark a little in terms of the exciting SPF products being released but is still a solid choice. There is a lot of new and innovative skincare technology I will be reviewing soon, so stay tuned. 

This is the first dedicated review to one product I have done so far. These single review posts go far more in depth than usual. However I want you to feel like you are making the most informed choice when I recommend a product. In posts reviewing multiple I am not able to go as in depth about the formula, what certain ingredients mean, and so on. Going forward, I’d like to reserve these dedicated, one product only reviews to products that truly blow me away and warrant their own review. 

I do think that it is important for skincare reviews to be a little more comprehensive. This is not the case with other products such as makeup as you are judging the product based mainly on its colour and texture. Skincare is significantly more intricate than that. 

The active ingredients of a formula carry a lot more weight in skincare than in makeup. So, I just wanted to make sure with this Kiehl’s SPF Review – or any other skincare review I do for that matter – that I am as thorough as possible. If you don’t like reading long reviews, no worries, I have a series of short, to-the-point reviews coming your way too. 😉

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Wishing you boundless love, endless light, and life without limit,

Shannon xo

Disclaimer

This post is not sponsored. I purchased this product with my own money. Kiehl’s do not know I am creating this blog post nor do I have any affiliation with the Kiehl’s brand. I have never been compensated to create a review and only give my authentic opinions based on my own views and experiences. 

I take a considerable amount of time and care to link each exact product, so that my reader can conveniently locate each recommendation with ease. Some links may be referral links. This means I can potentially earn a very small commission for referral should you choose to make a purchase, at no extra cost to you. Keeping me in mind and using my links next time you shop at beauty retailers like Sephora really helps to support this blog, so that I can continue to deliver free, quality information to you. I strive to create valuable content and put a great deal of effort in to every post. Any show of support is greatly appreciated and will enable me to continue putting out consistent, informative articles that are continuously being improved and updated.

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